Enjoying the day!

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know how much we are enjoying our Saturday. It's great to have a beautiful day where we can lay around, catch some sun, and enjoy the great weather. Ben is loving his day off (since we mowed yesterday). Emma is over at the neighbors playing with their water slide. Ben, remembering his childhood, decided to get out the tarp and have a go with it as a slip n' slide. The kids ran over- played for a while- and went back to the other slide. Nice try!

Anyway, gotta run!

Maren

Backyard Fun!

The day was not so hot but before you knew it the kids (mine plus the neighbors) were out in the pool(you can see our above ground pool behaind Emma in the almost last picture). THEN- "grammy" from next door (that's grandma for the neighbor kids) brought home a slide pool. The kids went crazy having fun!

The guy in the pictures is not Ben but our neighbor Aaron. The little boy was not hurt in this stunt- that's Ethan and he loves to be crazy fun!

Swimming Lessons

I have no pictures to show you because this session of swimming lessons is "parent and child". I decided to put Emma into this class because she has had this fear of the water that I can not explain. Sure enough the first couple of lessons we had "freak out" times. Today, however, was a completely different situation. There are only 2 kids in this class and the little boy was gone. Emma received a personal lesson from her life guard (whom she loves). Anyway, Alisa took her and worked with her and there were not problems. Emma listened, followed instructions, attempted the skills being taught and even put her whole head under the water!!! I said, "that's it! Mom has to come out of the class and Emma has to have goals set (it was at the end of class were I had said goal setting was important and Alisa showed Emma the skill of putting her head under water and set it as the goal for tomorrow. Emma promptly put her whole head under water). I'll get pictures up as soon as I can get out the the water to take them.

Maren

Summer is here!

Summer has finally come to the great Northwest. This is my second year for a garden at our new house and once again I will be gone while Ben and any other animal gets to enjoy it. Emma loves running through the garden, climbing the fence and running around our back yard.

Summer for us also means Emma's birthday. She just turned 4! She loved her Littlest Petshop birthday cake.

Emma's last days at school

Emma experienced her last days at school this year. She celebrated her birthday with all her friends and has a great time having her picture taken. She is a natural around the camera! She loved preschool and will miss all her friends that will be moving on to Kindergarten. Although Emma is not old enough to go to kindergarten (she is smart enough) she will have a great time returning to preschool.